Graph Visualization Toolkits

Abstract

Many diagrams encountered in numerous areas can be modeled as graphs. Examples include UML diagrams, PERT charts, network maps, electrical diagrams, and Web site maps. Graph drawing, or layout, is the positioning of nodes (objects) and the routing of edges (relations) in a graph in order to produce an aesthetically pleasing, comprehensible drawing of the underlying data. Visualizing such graphs has become essential in software and e-commerce, knowledge management, bioinformatics and many more areas. The Graph Layout Toolkit and the Graph Editor Toolkit, developed at Tom Sawyer Software, provide sophisticated application frameworks for graph modeling, layout, and visualization.